Tattoos serve to express personality, interests, and passions to the outside world. For many women, they also serve as an expression of their femininity and self-concept. To better understand the gravity which tattoos have on women, their concept of femininity, and the repercussions of being tattooed, we interviewed two TAMU-CC students.  To better understand the gravity which tattoos have on women, their concept of femininity, and the repercussions of being tattooed, we interviewed two TAMU-CC students.

Marivel Marroquin, a graduate clinical psychology student and student-teacher, hosts an arm sleeve and six additional tattoos. Marroquin has experienced extreme judgment and ridicule due to her status as an inked mother. 

“I feel like a lot of people see you as an unfit mother. They see you as someone who doesn’t have their priorities straight and always parties,” Marroquin said. 

Marroquin’s art makes her feel empowered and strong regardless of outsiders’ perspectives. She believes that her ink accurately reflects who she is and intends to add to her collection of art in the future.

Elena ‘Mari’ Garza is a first-year civil engineering major, honors student, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers member, and a Performing Arts Center usher. She has one tattoo: a line art of the moon behind mountains and the ocean, which she got with family members. Although the tattoo seems simplistic at first glance, its meaning is incredibly touching.

“I am the ocean because of TAMU-CC, my sister is the mountains because she wants to live in Colorado, and my cousin is the moon because he is a night owl. It is a complementary thing of our nature,” Garza said. 

Garza addressed notions that come with being a woman in STEM and how tattoos have combated the stereotypes she faces. Knowing about her tattoos has allowed people to relate and bond to her more.

“People assume that because I am good at math and an engineering major, I am boring and have no personality. People see that I have a tattoo and think I am relatable,” Garza said.

Additionally, Garza noted how women getting tattoos serves as an ode to women’s history. She said that it is empowering that women can choose to get tattoos after a long fight for women’s rights.

“When you think about it, a hundred years ago, this would not fly. It is a form of expression, releasing your energy, and letting go of things. It’s beautiful, and it’s art. Seeing women with a lot of tattoos is something to be proud of,” Garza said. 

Rather than judging and stereotyping tattooed women, it is each individual’s job to appreciate the meaning, beauty, and history that comes with being tattooed.